Spread the Fire - March 2008 - (Page 17)

read the words of 1 Corinthians 6:9. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders…” I became angry with God! How could the Lord send someone He loved to hell? I determined to continue my homosexual lifestyle and wanted to rebel against what I had read in the Bible. That night, God visited me once more while I was dancing in a nightclub. I looked into the eyes of the man dancing with me and saw death. It frightened me to the point that in the middle of the disco, I started to tell him about God. Then I realized that in my three weeks with God, I’d become a different person. On the inside, my heart was totally changed. JOURNEY TO FREEDOM A desire to understand my homosexual feelings set me on a journey. It began with exploring what the Bible had to say. I looked up all the scriptures related to homosexuality that I could find and realized that God wasn’t against homosexuals; in fact, He loved everyone indiscriminately. The Bible taught that any sexual expression outside marriage didn’t truly reflect what it meant to be created in God’s image. Genesis 1:26-28 really helped me see that when God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (NIV), and then created Adam and Eve and bid them to be sexually fruitful, He is telling us something important about who He is. This brought great rev- (continued on page 19) S TF - 1 7 j 1 2 SimonFoster speaks out ministering Christ to the Gay Community I applaud the faith and courage of the families of those who are praying for loved ones and friends who are in homosexual relationships and to the person who is finding out that their sexuality is a more confusing issue than they first thought. I also write to the many men and women who work through the daily internal conflict these issues often produce. As you read about my journey into God and out of homosexuality, may you grow in your abilitiy to trust God’s power to work in you and in those you love. Would you allow me to offer these suggestions for ministering effectively to the homosexual community? . UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN SEXUAL BROKENNESS FIRST It is dangerous for someone who is not aware of his or her own sexual brokenness to attempt to preach to others. We are all in need of God’s grace and healing in every area of life including our sexuality. Instead of communicating the message of the love of God, the homosexual individual will only hear our fears and, sadly, our revulsion unless we speak the language of grace, which is truth in the context of love and mercy. There are great similarities between the fallen nature of heterosexuality and homosexuality. In fact, one is as sinful as the other. Perhaps we need to look in the mirror before we look out the window. . REpENT OF ANY hATRED TOWARD hOmOSEXUALS Society has chosen the word, “homophobia,” which means a “fear of homosexuality” to describe this form of prejudice. It is really a hatred of homosexuals which is rooted in fear as are all other prejudices. It is human nature, sinful human nature, to ridicule what is different. Ridiculing and demeaning homosexuals-or anyone for that matter- actually means that you fear becoming like them, fear their influence and want to raise yourself above them or feel the need to resist them. The Christian who does has difficulty trusting God. Sometimes Christians

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Spread the Fire - March 2008 Contents In the River Save Sex? Simon’s Story The Key To Overcoming Lust It’s Time for the Double Blessing International Itinerary Resource Center Catalogue Upcoming Events Visitor Information

Spread the Fire - March 2008

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